Henry Larkin, normally referred to as "Ted" or "Teddy", was an excellent player who spent most of his major league career in the American Association. His Adjusted OPS was 141, ranking # 70 on the all-time list through 2008. He was close to being as good as his contemporaries Pete Browning and Dave Orr.

He worked as a boilermaker and played amateur ball with the Hibernians in the late 1870's. In 1881 he began play as a second baseman for the professional Actives of Reading, an independent team. He was paid $4,200 to play in 1890. Source: Interview with Larkin in The Reading Eagle, Jan. 29, 1937.